Haleon’s soaring cough remedy sales not to be sniffed at

Haleon’s sales of cough products surged by a third as cold and flu viruses reached pre-pandemic levels.

The company, which owns brands such as Theraflu and Panadol, said sales of respiratory health products increased by 39.5pc in the latter months of last year. This was due to “a strong cold and flu season significantly ahead of 2019 levels”.

Haleon was the consumer healthcare arm of GSK. It floated on the London Stock Exchange last year after a £50bn bid for it from Marmite owner Unilever was rejected by its former owner. Its stock market debut was the largest listing of any European company in a decade, but its initial price of 330p a share valued it below Unilever’s offer.